Hurray – It’s National Brownie Day!

The Christmas elves must’ve got to work early ‘cause it’s National Brownie Day and we’re bringing you unmissable tips and recipes to help you bake your best ever brownies.

Start with best-brownie-worthy ingredients. These include high percentage dark chocolate, good quality cocoa powder and, for a proper rich flavour, butter rather than marg.

Straight up all-chocolate brownies are a thing of beauty but adding a swirl of contrasting chocolate, a dollop of jam or a sprinkle of crushed nuts can elevate them to exceptional so experiment with extras.

Because brownies are gorgeously crumbly and all kinds of gooey, you want to be able to lift your baked goodies out of the tin without a hitch. Line with greaseproof paper and all will be well.

Perfect brownies are all about timing so, whichever recipe you’re using, don’t get distracted once they’re in the oven. Check them 5 minutes before the time is up in case cooking is a little ahead of schedule. Unlike cake, the skewer shouldn’t come out clean.

Nervous about timings? Let the Cake Factory take the guesswork out of baking. Minimum fuss, beautiful brownies guaranteed!

Once they’re out of the oven, let them cool before cutting into squares. That squidgy centre needs to rest before being revealed, so now’s the time to get distracted lest you tuck in too soon.

As anyone who’s sliced up brownies before will know, there’s always a decent scattering of crumbs left on the board. If you don’t gobble them up there and then, why not store to sprinkle on ice cream?

So what’s the recipe for the best ever brownie? That all depends on how you like them. We’re not copping out here; it’s just a fact that some like brownies to be fall-off-the-fork fudgy while others prefer them a little more on the cakey side. Which of these gets your vote?

This gold star recipe carefully guides you through each crucial stage and promises knockout results. You may find they need a little more time in the oven, but that’s for you and your tin-shaking skills to decide.

They don’t come much gooier than this, folks. Say hello to the best fudgy cocoa brownies. We love the addition of a secret ingredient to keep it oh-so moist and the top tip of beating the eggs well for an extra crackly top.

For brownies that look like you’ve pulled out all the stops but are actually a doddle to make, try these divine chocolate and pecan brownies. Need something deliciously non-dairy? These best ever vegan brownies should do the trick.

And as Christmas is only moments away, think of this brownie mince pie recipe as a little early pressie from us. You’re welcome.